Overflow-alarm for refrigerators.



No. 687,203. Patented Nov. 26, I90l.

H. L. CRIPPS..

OVERFLOW ALARM FOR REFRIGERATURS.

(Application filed July 9, 1901.:

(.No Model.)

VENTOR flVglESS 8 i g f TTOR/VEYS Tll NORRIS PETERS cu, Pnowoumu WASHINGTON, 0 cv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. CRIPPS, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

OVERFLOW-ALARM FOR REFRIGERATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,203, dated November 26, 1901 Application filed July 9, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. CRIPPS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City Heights, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overflow- Alarms for Refrigerators, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide refrigerators and other devices of like character wherein overflows of fluids are liable to cause damage with an alarm device by which the danger of such overflows may be indicated in sufficient time to prevent the-same, which device may be attached directly to such refrigerator, the, or to a base-plate adapted to be secured thereto.

To such ends my invention consists in substance of a float,a Substantiallyhorizontal arm pivoted to a support to the free end of which such float is secured, an electric bell, a normally broken circuit of electrical conductors in connection with the bell, a battery included in such circuit of conductors, means carried by the pivoted arm for closing the circuit at the normal break when the float is in the extreme upward position, means for locking the float and arm in the extreme upward position, a switch for breaking the electric circuit when the float and arm are locked in the extreme upward pos-ition,and usually, but not necessarily, a base plate or board provided with a hole or perforation to receive the refrigerator drip pipe, upon which board or base-plate the before-mentioned parts are secured, such board being adapted to be secured to the under side of the refrigerator-bottom.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like nu merals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a front side view in perspective of a refrigerator provided with my improved water-alarm device, showing the drip-pan in position beneath the same. Fig. 2 is a view of a base-board carrying a slightly-modified form of the device and adapted to be secured upon the refrigerator-bottom, and Fig. 3 is a view in central vertical section of the bottom portion of a refrigerator Serial No. 67,5 76. (No model.)

of the form shown in Fig. 1 provided with the form of my improved water-alarm shown in said Fig. 1 looking from the rear of the refrigerator.

In the drawings, reference being made to Fig. 2, 10 indicates the base plate or board or supporting-board which I prefer to use in forming my improved water-alarm, which is usually of the rectangular form shown and usually about ten to fourteen inches in size. This board 10 is provided at the corners with holes to receive screws 11, by which the same may be rigidly secured upon the bottom of the refrigerator and at the proper point adjacent to the center with a drip-pipe hole 12. Pivoted to this board at any desired point, usually adjacent to one end, as shown at 13, is a float-arm 14:, provided at its extreme outer free end with a suitable float 15, of cork or any other like material which will float easily in water, and this arm is provided adjacent to the pivot 13 with a contactplate 16, usually of platinum, adapted when the float is forced upward within two or three inches of the board 10 to make contact with the spring contact-fingers 17 and 18, which form a normal break in a circuit of electric conductors composed of wires 19 and 20, in which circuit is included an electric bell 21 and a battery 22, which battery is usually of the dry form shown, being held in position upon the board 10 by means of claspbands 23, secured thereto by screws 24, usually of the thumb-screw form sh own, by which arrangement thebattery may be quickly and easily renewed when worn out. Secured upon the board 10 in metallic slide-studs 25 and 26, so as to frictionally slide therein upon some little pressure, is a switch-bar 27, provided with the switch-piece 28, adapted when the switch-bar 27 is pushed into the extreme inward position (shown in Fig. 2) to make contact between the electrical contact-pieces 29 and 30, the contact-piece 30 being connected with the wire 20 and the contact-piece 29 with the spring-finger 18 in any desired manner, usually bya short wire, as shown. The

switch-bar 27 is provided at the outer end with a suitable handle 31, and to its extreme inner end is secured a flexible cord or cable 32, which passes through a ring or like support 33 and is secured at its outer free end to the float-bar 14 adjacent to the float 15.

The form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 3 differs only from that shown in Fig. 2, here- 5 inbei'ore described, in that the board is omitted and the various parts are secured directly upon the bottom board of the refrigerator and that the switch-bar 27 is omitted and its place taken by a small thumb-switch 27, located upon the side of the casing, and

that the cord 32 is provided with a handle 32' and to secure the float in the lifted position is secured upon a suitable button 3%.

The operation of the device is self-evident from the drawings. It will be seen that the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3, the float dropping by its own weight down into the pan 35, as soon as the water passing into the pan from the drip-pipe 36 fills the same sufficiently to lift the float up into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 this will bring the contact-plate 16 upon the float lever 14 against the spring contact-fingers 17 and 18, whereby the electrical circuit will be closed, and the hand-switch being of course always kept closed at such times the consequent energizing of the magneto-bell 21 will set the same to ringing, so as to alarm the household. The person taking care of the same upon going to the refrigerator will actuate the switch so as to break the circuit, this being done in the form shown in Fig. 2 by drawing the switch-bar 27 back into the position shown in dotted lines, when the contact-piece 28, being in the position shown in dotted lines in such figure, will be outof contact with the contact-pieces 29 and 30, when of course the bell will instantly cease ringing, and in this form the drawing back of the cord 32 by such outward movement of the switch-bar 27 will raise the float fully up against the board 10, such float being of such size that when in such position the water-pan 35 may be drawn out from under the same without contact therewith.

The operation of the construction shown in Fig. 3 differs from that just before described only in that the switch 27' is turned to open the circuit, so as to cause the bell to cease ringing, and the cord 32 is pulled out to its fullest extent by means of the handle 32 and is secured around the stud or button 34, so as to hold the float in the extreme upward position before described.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with an electric bell, of a nor- 6o mallybroken circuit of conductors, a battery for energizing such circuit included therein a float, means for closing the circuit actuated by the float upon its upward movement, and devices to lock the float in the raised position and other devices for breaking the circuit when the float is so locked in the raised position, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a support,of an electric bell, a normally broken circuit of conductors, a battery for energizing such circuit included therein a float, means for closing the circuit actuated by the float upon its upward movement, and means to lock the float in the raised position and devices for breaking the circuit when the float is so locked in the raised position, all carried by said support, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a circuit of electric conductors normally broken and provided at the ends of the break with springcontact-fingers, of an electric bell, and a battery included in such circuit, a float-arm pivoted so as to vibrate vertically, a float carried by the floatarm, an electric contact-piece carried by the float-arm, and adapted to close the circuit by being brought into contact with the spring contacting fingers when the float is in the raised position, and means for locking the float in the raised position, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a circuit of electric conductors normally broken and provided at the ends of the break with spring contact-fingers, of an electric bell and a battery included in such circuit, a float-arm pivoted so as to vibrate vertically, a float carried by the floatarm, an electrical contact-piece carried by the float-arm and adapted to close the circuit by being brought into contact with the spring contact-fingers when the float is in the raised position, and means for locking the float in the raised position and devices for simultaneously breaking the circuit, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a circuit of electric conductors normally broken and provided at the ends of the break with spring contact-fingers, of an electric bell and a battery included in such circuit, a float-arm pivoted so as to vibrate vertically, a float carried by the floatarm, and an electrical contact-piece carried by the float-arm and adapted to close the circuit by being brought into contact with the spring contact-fingers when the float is in the raised position, means for locking the float in the raised position, and a switch included in the electric circuit and connected with the float therein, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses.

HARRY L. ORIPPS.

\Vitnesses:

L. R. BAYER, F. F. TELLER. 

